Zero Waste Bathroom: 13 Essential Plastic-Free Swaps

By cutting all that out, you can eliminate plastic waste, toxic ingredients, and that pesky clutter that just never seems to fit in the cabinets.

We don’t expect you to get there overnight but here are some of our favorite plastic-free bathroom products to kickstart your progress toward a waste-free washroom.

Toilet paper is a necessary evil, no butts about it.

However, traditional TP is the bathroom’s most wasteful thing—from the virgin tree pulp, to the water, electricity, and literal tons of harmful chemicals used in the manufacturing process. This chemical-laden paper gets wrapped in harmful plastic packaging that ends up in the waste bin, too.

As such, zero waste toilet paper is perhaps the first swap you should implement—probably nothing quite as literal as you have in mind. There are several different ways to make the switch, including reusable washcloths, bamboo, or recycled toilet paper.

We’ve personally tested and use Who Gives a Crap recycled toilet paper rolls, and enjoy a clean wiping conscience.

Make your toilet time extra low-impact by pairing your TP with a TUSHY bidet to vastly reduce how much you need to use. Ask anyone who’s made the switch (like us); they’re life-changing—or rather, wipe changing.

We’re conditioned (get it?) to think shampoos and conditioners must be liquids and liquids, surely, must come in plastic bottles. In reality, there are tons of zero waste shampoo and conditioner options that either have no plastic packaging or come in reusable zero waste containers.

Shampoo and conditioner bars—like those offered by Ethique—not only avoid landfill waste, but are super compact, long-lasting, and perfect for travel.

If you’re still partial to those liquid suds, Everist packs them in a 100% recycled and infinitely recyclable aluminum tube. Or take a reusable container to your local bulk store and fill it up there.

If you’re DIY inclined, home-brewed or store bought raw apple cider vinegar works as a low waste conditioner to naturally cleanse and soften hair.

Bar soap has been around since the dawn of time, but in our modern obsession with liquids, many of us forget about these simple and sustainable options. This switch really just means cutting out liquid hand and body soaps that come in plastic pump bottles—especially the ones with little plastic beads.

When it comes to sustainable suds—whether for the body or hands—Ethique once again raises the literal bar. Their soap bars come in compostable packaging and a variety of invigorating scents like spearmint tea tree, lime and lemongrass, and lavender peppermint, courtesy of natural essential oils. Being filled with vegan, palm oil free, and natural ingredients, they’ll not only clean up your skin, but the planet, too.

Not quite ready to give up your lathering liquids? Thanks to body wash refill programs, you don’t have to.

Plaine Products’ bottle return program lets you purchase their product in a 100% recyclable and refillable aluminum bottle to return once empty.

When’s the last time you’ve actually put your plastic deodorant stick in your bathroom recycling bin? Even though they are (mostly) recyclable, not many deodorant applicators actually end up being recycled. Almost every component is a different type of plastic, meaning you would need to completely disassemble it for it to be properly recycled. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have time for that.

Plastic sticks stink, but thanks to zero waste deodorants, you don’t have to! You can always just skip the deodorant completely (not our first line of defense, but to each their own).

Cardboard sticks are our preferred solution, with completely compostable packaging yet allowing for the same basic hand-off application method. Ethique once again has the answer with their easy-to-apply cardboard deodorant tubes or bars.

Toothbrushes

Plastic toothbrushes are tantalizingly cheap and come in a rainbow of colors, but they’re devastating the environment. 1 billion of them get thrown away yearly in America alone.

Switching to something non-plastic—such as Brush With Bamboo and their bamboo handled brush with plant-based bristles—is one of the easiest but most impactful plastic-free bathroom products. Just be sure to remove the bristles before composting, as no bamboo toothbrush (yet, at least) has truly home compostable bristles.

If you’re aboard the buzz brushing train, we unfortunately can’t tell you your electric toothbrush can be made zero waste. However, it can be made less wasteful by choosing sustainable electric toothbrushes next time you need a replacement.

Toothpaste

What good is a bamboo brush without the zero waste toothpaste to put on it?

Georganics offers a wide range of flavored fluoride or fluoride-free options in either tablet, paste, or powder form. Housed in reusable glass jars, never again will you have to squeeze the silly tube for that last drop or worry about TSA catching your too-big tube.

Floss

Not to sound like your dentist, but don’t forget to floss! ZWS Essentials offers a vegan floss made of charcoal-infused bamboo fibers. Unlike some supposedly “sustainable” flosses out there, these both come in refillable glass jars, with refills coming via packaging that can be composted alongside the used floss.

Before those junky little disposable razors were a thing, people opted for something sturdy that would last them for years.

Perhaps the most essential of all reusable bathroom products is the safety razor. We admit, they look anything but safe, after using them for years with only a few small nicks to show, we can safely say these are one of our favorite additions to our zero waste bathroom kit.

A safety razor functions the exact same way as its plastic counterpart, except it lasts much longer with proper cleaning and is worlds better for the environment. Plus, a lifelong safety razor a year’s supply of blades can cost around $30. Now compare that to all those expensive disposal heads.

There’s no better place to snag this essential item than through ZeroWasteStore.com. Their double-edged safety razors come with the choice of long or short handles, depending on your preference.

To leave your skin as smooth as a baby’s butt, pair it with a shaving soap bar, like the nourishing coconut and avocado oil one from EcoRoots.

Traditional makeup is not only unhealthy for you and your skin (thanks to the synthetic additives, cheap fillers and other toxic ingredients), but they almost always come in plastic bottles and palettes that are incredibly difficult to recycle properly.

Fortunately, you can make up your plastic-free bathroom kit with the ever-growing number of zero waste beauty brands.

Whether you’re a lip balm only kind of gal or love to get creative with a full-face work of art, there’s no reason not to choose cleaner and greener products for both yourself and the earth

Elate Cosmetics is a one-stop shop for clean makeup of all kinds, and their elegant bamboo housing will look great when it inevitably gets scattered across your vanity.

For earthy tones and nature-inspired, simple cosmetics, check out Fat and The Moon’s organic range.

For those with dry skin, fear not! Thanks to low waste and organic face moisturizers, you can still moisturize without the pump bottles.

You once again can’t go wrong with Ethique’s collection of body lotion sticks, face moisturizer bars, and more. For a traditional cream, EcoRoots offers one in a glass jar. We found it lightweight, effective for an oily complexion, and as a day cream for winter and night cream for summer.

If you prefer natural remedies, you can even make your own using simple household ingredients like coconut oil sourced from your local bulk store.

Plastic-free bathroom products are all about going with the flow. On average, each woman will produce 2,400 tampons worth of waste in their life. That’s heaps of applicators, boxes, and wrappings that end up in landfills. You unfortunately can’t avoid your period, but you can avoid the waste that comes with it.

Menstrual cups are the holy grail of period products—period. There are so many options on the market these days, but the Saalt cups and discs are a favorite, considering they donate 2% of revenue towards educational programs and women in need.

Sustainable period underwear is also an excellent first or second line of defense (free bleeding is a new level of comfort, after all). These are essentially leak-resistant, ultra-absorbent underwear that include a built-in pad. If it sounds gross, it’s not, because the core is so soft and absorbent, you won’t feel like you’re wearing a pad at all.

Modibodi offers tons of different styles for different flow days (they even have a G-string option!).

Perhaps overlooked but nonetheless an important consideration in learning how to go plastic-free in the bathroom, is to ditch those plastic loofahs—or rather, fake loofahs because real loofahs are actually a type of plant.

Synthetic loofahs not only have a terribly short lifespan, but they breed bacteria and are full of thousands of microplastics that get washed down the drain—and into some poor sea creature’s body (and possibly eventually yours).

Luckily, there are plenty of loofah alternatives.

ZeroWasteStore.com offers a natural loofah that can be used both in your shower and kitchen.

For something a little less abrasive, the compostable body sponge from Everist is made from 100% natural konjac plant fiber, making it a worthy biodegradable addition for a vegan zero waste bathroom.

When it comes to fabric, conventional cotton is never our first pick. Cotton cultivation uses 4.7% of the world’s pesticides and 10% of the world’s insecticides, making it one of the most pesticide-intensive crops. Kiss those pesticides goodbye (like that toxic ex) and welcome some softer and safer fabrics into your life.

Luckily for you, there are plenty of organic towels out there using materials like organic cotton to ensure water is the only thing getting absorbed in your waste-free bathroom—instead of chemicals into your skin.

Both Coyuchi and Parachute towels boast certifications from the likes of GOTS and fair trade, so you know they helped make the workers behind them just as comfortable as you.

What about shower curtains? Like other plastic products, PVC plastic shower curtains contain harmful chemicals that are bad for not only the environment, but also your health.

We don’t know about you, but we prefer those that won’t release toxic chemicals every time we lather up. Hemp, organic cotton, and linen are durable and safe alternatives that are naturally biodegradable.

Parachute is a women-founded brand that offers shower curtains as part of their home goods line. Their curtains are made from sustainable European flax and organic cotton in a family-owned factory in Portugal.

If your bathroom has a breezy look to it, Coyuchi infuses laid-back beach vibes with chemical-free curtains.

Let’s talk about cleaning your bathroom a là zero waste.

Did you know you can buy cleaning products in bulk? If you don’t have a bulk store near you, there are still a bunch of refillable cleaning products you can order online from the comfort of your home.

Blueland delivers cleaners for all your major bathroom components via concentrate dissolvable tablets that come in compostable envelopes. Just drop in your own spray bottle full of water and start scrubbing.

If you live in the UK, then peruse Miniml‘s pre-made products as well as bulk refills on white vinegar, a powerful all-purpose ingredient that can be used to create your own DIY zero waste bathroom cleaner.

But cleaning agents are just one piece of the non-plastic puzzle. Low-waste tools are also part of that picture. First, use whatever brushes you already have, plastic or not, but if they get too scummy and are no longer functional then upgrade to something compostable, like a wooden toilet brush from Redecker.